Sterek Tumblr Ficlets
by ElStark
Summary: 1. Merman Au; 2. Forehead Kiss/Derek comes back; 3. Forceful Kiss/Stiles gets a Triskele ngfic;
1. Merman AU

**A/N:** **So, this is a Sterek Tumblr ficlet that turned into a 6k Star crossed lovers fluffy angst monster..**

 **I thought it was a pity not to publish it here, so here it is, hope you'll enjoy!**

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Derek is a merman that every morning sneaks off without his nosy, annoyingly protective family knowing, to watch the handsome professional surfer Stiles coach the little kids that come to learn during their summer breaks, and then to come back to see him practice in the afternoons, (ofc Laura and Cora knows and Talia too but L and C don't know that their mom knows too).  
THIS has been going on for a while now,, Derek practical grew watching the kid learn how to balance his weight on a surfboard and become this amazing multi-competition winner young man, and he's pretty positive that he's in love with the guy.

On his eighteenth birthday he's given the gift of spending a day on the ground, with Actual legs, and Talia and his sisters are all fussing over him, telling him how he needs to be careful, because No ONE can know his secret because, otherwise he'd turn into sea foam, and Derek is nodding, not listening at all because all he can think of is that he will be able to actually Speak to Stiles and maybe sing to him something and make him fall in love with him and live happily ever after, like in that story that he heard one day from a mom telling his kids about!

And so he goes on the ground on midnight, and his tail magically transform into two separate legs and he's so happy, he may tear up a little and His sisters can tease him all they want and he wouldn't care because, finally he gets to realise his lifetime's dream.

So, he stands up, and promptly fall on his face.

"Oh my god, dude you okay?"

Someone asks as he tries to wipe off the sand from his face with a grunt, (Ugh sand is so annoying when it's dry, how do humans deal with it? ugh is getting everywhere UGH)

"Jesus, that was quiet the fall, what did you trip on?

He looks up then, and finds Stiles sitting on his board floating on the water a few feet from him, his beautiful mole dotted, pale skin illuminated by the moonlight, he looks like a dream come true and Derek is so awestruck that his brain short-circuits and he can only stare for a while.

"Hey, you didn't hit your head, did you?" Stiles asks then and that reboots Derek's system and he stammers an,

"Uh, uh- no?"

Stiles' raises his eyebrows at that, but then his lips stretch in an amused smile and Derek feels his stomach doing funny things and his whole body tingling, because he did _that_ , he made the love of his life smile, after night upon night and day upon day spent dreaming and Daydreaming of doing just that, and this is probably the most important moment of his entire life, "Are you asking me?"

Derek takes a while to connect the question to what he said before and then feels himself blush and he stammers again "N- yes no, I mean I'm fine, I really am.. Fine."

Stiles' grin grows wider and Derek is positive he wants to spend the rest of his life making sure that that grin stays on his beautiful face all the time. "I haven't seen you around, are you new or just here for the holidays?"

At that Derek's stomach drops a little, because while he knows Stiles since he was 7, for Stiles he's just a stranger, and that sets astray his plan to make him fall in love with him a little..

"No.." He says after a while, "I'm here just for a day."

"Oh, that's a pity.."

"Yeah?"

Stiles rubs the back of his neck, "Yeah, dude, it's such a beautiful place, not to mention that these days the waves are _Fantastic_!"

"Yeah, I noticed.." Derek says distractedly, too busy watching enamoured the way Stiles' whole face lights up whenever he talks excitedly about anything related to surfing.

"You surf too!?"

Derek frowns and then nods, "Yeah, I guess you could say that.."

"Ow dude! But that's awesome!" Stiles exclaims with a big grin and Derek feels that tingling move to his heart, "how many years you've been practicing?"

"Almost my entire life.."

"Oh my god! We were meant to be!"

Derek's heart actually stops at that.

"- I swear! Me too! Oh, wait, were you practising before, when you fell?"

And Derek nods because he doesn't know what else to do, and when Stiles asks him about his board he says something stupid like "A Shark ate it"  
And Stiles looks at him oddly but shrugs it off.

Then the real problem comes when Stiles suggests to take him home and Derek realises that he is in fact _naked_. So he invents another ridiculous excuse like "I lost my shorts while I was surfing"

And Stiles actually flinches at that and says "Ow, dude, that's the worst, it happens to me _all_ the time, too"

And Derek is really trying not to question where he was when this happened because as much as he raked his brain he didn't recall seeing Stiles being all flustered because he lost his pants during a pretty heavy strong wave, he Wanted to, though.

Anyhow, Stiles swims away and after a while returns with some clothes and Derek knows theoretically how they go and where, but he has some difficulties with the shirt and after the fifth time, Stiles comes up to him and helps him to put his arms in the right holes, "you sure you didn't hit your head?"

And Derek blushes, because _seriously_ he couldn't be anymore graceless as a human, when as a merman he's the winner of The Grace Swimming Dance Competition

"Hey, do you want me to take you back to the hostel?" Stiles asks bringing him back to the present, "My home is on the way, anyway.."

Derek nods "sure." Even tho he's not sure what exactly a 'hostel' is.

So they walk and Stiles talks. A lot. And Derek has no idea where they're going, but he doesn't care if he gets to watch up close the way Stiles practically _vibrates_ with energy as he discusses of the widest topics.

But then they arrive at destination and Stiles is smiling a little sadly at him "Well, I guess this is goodnight" he waves and then starts to walk away.

Derek is utterly lost on what to do next so he looks around a little, frowns, sighs and then proceeds in sitting on the bench in front of the hostel.  
The merfolk should really come up with a better plan when they decided to give this kind of present to their youngsters. What was he supposed to do now?

"You're not going in?"

He jumps when he hears Stiles voice again and Derek looks up to find him watching with two raised eyebrows and again he find himself stammering,

"Uh- uh no, I'm not… staying here.."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Stiles seems a little exasperated and Derek flinches. "I mean, you should've told me, sometimes I just assume stuff, it's something I'm working on.." He says more softly, "So, where are you staying?"

Derek doesn't know what to say so he bites the inside of his cheeks and stays silent.

Stiles cocks his head to a side, "You don't have a place to stay, do you?"

Derek can't take the stare match that it's going on so he looks away, utterly mortified.

"Your board gets eaten by sharks, you lose your shorts, you don't have a place where to stay.. Man, your having some shitty day aren't you? Or…"

Derek looks up at that.

"You're a sea creature came to spend a day among humans."

Derek stares, his mouth might be hanging open too.

"I'm right, aren't I?"

Derek's pretty sure his eyes couldn't get any wider.

Stiles smirks. _Smirks_ , and waves a hand at him, "oh, don't be surprised, you wouldn't be the first supernatural/mythical creature I've met.. So wait are you like a selkie, a mer-"

"Don't!" Derek yelled.

Stiles eyes widened, "Oh, so that part of the legends it's true?"

Derek shrugged, his heart beating like crazy in his chest. This is wrong, this wasn't supposed to happen. He may start panicking now.

"Hey," Stiles is crouching in front of him, and his hand is hovering in the air like he wants to touch but is not sure if it's okay. Derek turns his impossibly wide eyes at him, "I won't hurt you, I promise. Just tell me what I can do to help,"

"If you look at me and say what I am, or tell anyone else, they will know and I won't be able to touch sea water anymore…"

"Okay, so I'm not gonna say it." Stiles shrugs.

"How are you not.." Derek frowns.

"Freaked out? Running away screaming? Pointing at you and yelling monster?" Derek nodded slowly. Stiles gave him, his easy grin that has always made Derek's heart flutter, "I told you," He stood up, holding out his hand, "I'm sort of an expert," Derek took it and stood up too.

"How?"

"I'm double majoring in criminology and folklore.. sorta had to after my best friend got bitten by a werewolf.. what?"

"Werewolves are real?"

"Yep."

Huh. Apparently the world is more complicated than he could ever imagine.

"Hey, you hungry?" Stiles asks then, and he nods, "Good, I'm craving for curly fries right now, but I don't know if they have it this late…"

SO anyway, they do end up finding a place where they can get curly fries and then they walk to Stiles' house. Stiles is eating the fries with gusto, making sounds that are making Derek blush to the tips of his ears, but he still haven't eaten one.

"You can eat them, you know?" Derek looks up guiltily and Stiles just smiles at him, but then frowns, "Well I think so.. it's just potatoes with a little of seasoning.. what do you usually eat?"

"Fish."

"Right." Stiles says holding back a smile, "Just try it, I promise, I'll make you fish, if you don't like it."

And at that, Derek might fall a little harder for the guy. Ugh, he was hopeless.

So he tries it. And the texture is weird, and Stiles is looking at him expectantly (They're in the house now, Stiles has just closed the front door) so he says, "It's not fish." And watches in awe the way Stiles tips back his head to bark out a laugh.

"Yeah, it's definitely not fish." He says and his eyes are sparkling and Derek's pretty sure the tingling in his body should stop at some point but it just _won't_. Not when the love of his life is looking at him like that. "Do you like it?" he asks then and Derek takes another bite to make sure and then nods.

The smile that Stiles gives him could be compared to the sun, for its brightness.

So then Stiles goes to sleep cuz " _damn, I'm whipped_. I need to lie down," and without thinking shows Derek to the guest room, and Derek is so awed from everything, because wow, humans have so many _things._ And the squared soft thing is actually too soft and so weird like everything else but so cool? And they just have to press a button for light! They don't have to chase and beg angelr fishes to make them some light when it get super dark!

But then they have stairs, and stairs are scary okay? But Stiles was there and he held his hand until they were up on the floating floor, so it's fine. Stiles' hands are a little calloused but they're Stiles hands, and they're veiny and Derek loves 'em like everything about Stiles.

He's thinking all this sitting stiffly on the bed when, suddenly Stiles is back at the guest room door, "Shit, I didn't think. You said you were staying here for a day only.. I doubt you want to waste any time sleeping, right?"

Derek shakes his head, "Not really, but you need to sleep, you had that kid class in the morning and then practiced until late…"

"Yeah, I know- wait, how do you know?"

 _Shit_.

So, now Stiles sort of knows that Derek may have been watching him since they were little kids, but he seems sort of endeared by the way Derek tells him this blushing and stuttering some more. So, it's okay.

Stiles take him back to the living room (Derek almost breaks the bones of his hand when they go down the stairs again) and puts the little mermaid on, because he figures it's sort of educational for Derek, you know for how humans sort of see mermaids and all that jam. And Der ofc watches, drinking it all in, as Stiles dozes off the on the couch.

So that's how their friendship start.

Stiles spends the whole day with him, telling him stuff about the human world and showing him things that he thinks, Derek will love, and Derek loves them, because Stiles showed them to him. And in turn he tells little bits of mundane stuff about _his_ world, like the way they communicate under water, and Stiles listens to it all in awe.

When the day is over, they're both super sad. Because it was over so _soon_ , and they don't want it to be the last time they see each other.

And Derek can't compare the happiness and fullness that he feels when Stiles asks him if he will come back tomorrow, so that they can see each other again –even if just on water- to anything else.

When he goes back home Talia and his sisters are waiting for him and they sigh in relief when they see him all smiley an happy and _okay_.

It's tradition to give their eighteen-year olds the choice to see how the creatures with whom they share this world live, but through the centuries them not coming back home, once the leg-spell wore off, because discovered and hurt or worse, were a pretty normal occurrence.

Occurrence feared from their family members.

His mom and his sisters were especially afraid because they knew about Stiles and Derek's crush on the human boy, and feared that he would find the temptation to tell him the truth too strong and so break his heart and end his life in the process. But apparently everything was right, and Derek was happy.

Every day, Derek goes to find Stiles and everyday Stiles spends some time with him just talking or watching each other practice or swim.

Stiles' face when he first saw Derek's tail could only be described as awed and when he saw how fast Derek could swim as amazed and possibly turned on.

Derek has never been so happy in his entire life. Every day was just spectacular, because Stiles was everything he had fantasized he'd be when he used to watch him and study him from afar, and _more_.

He wasn't scared of Derek, he didn't make him feel weird when he'd ask something that must've been obvious for Stiles. But just told him about the other weird stuff about his life, like how his best friend was a werewolf and about the girl he had a crush on for pretty much his whole middle and high school experience was a banshee.

It turned out even more perfect when Stiles confessed his love for Derek.

It was late at night, the moon looked like a toenail but it was bright and the stars were visible more than usual. Derek was telling Stiles of the Underwater Swimming Dance Competition and how Der was the unbeaten champion since 2012, and Stiles all of a sudden says, "Show me."

So, Derek takes Stiles' hand and tugs a little, gesturing to get off the surfboard that he was straddling. Stiles complies easily and waits as Derek puts them into the right position, with Stiles hands firmly on Derek's shoulders while Derek has his hands on Stiles' sides, to keep him up. Usually the dance happens under water of course, but Derek can imagine a way to adapt it with half of his body above water. And then, he starts moving, his tail swirling and curling to gain speed and just like that they're dancing.

Stiles' breath catches and his eyes widen a little. He looks down to look at how his legs follow Derek's tail in an endless chase, his arms now tightly wound around Derek's neck, hanging on for dear life, and then he starts laughing happily and soon Derek's laughing with him.

When they finally stop swirling, Derek feels high on happiness and he would've been pretty sure that the "Oh my god, I'm in love with you." That he hears after, is fruit of his imagination if it isn't for the way Stiles is blushing and stuttering.

And for once, Derek feels bold and tips his head down to catch Stiles' lips with his, successfully shutting him up and kissing him sweetly.

Something happens when their lips meet. Words seem petty and not even close to enough to describe how it feels. His whole being, his heart, mind and soul is all concentrated on this moment, everything is Stiles and it's excitingly new but at the same time seems the oldest and most natural thing he could ever do. Like kissing and just being with Stiles is just part of who he is.

His hands curl around the human more possessively and feels incredibly pleased when the gesture elicits a moan that he promptly swallows down his throat. "I love you too," He says a little breathless, brushing his nose to his. "I always did."

And that's how their love story begins.

Nothing really changes, they already spent every free time they had together, now they spend it kissing and touching each other, as opposed to talking, which they do only after all the kissing and moaning business.

When they do, they sometimes, talk about cheesy stuff like how beautiful and bright the stars and the moon are, and after discovering Derek's passion for constellation Stiles got him a pendant with the constellation of Perseus, as opposed to the Lyra one that Derek says he loves for the tragic story of Orpheus and Eurydice, the one where the girl ends up dead and the guy finds a way to go to the underworld and strike a deal to bring back the girl by playing the Lyra so wonderfully and promising not to turn back to make sure that she will follow him, but that fails miserably when he gives into temptation just when they're almost out, back in the world of the living. The guy, upon having lost the love of his life not once but _twice_ , gives up life and dies to finally live eternally in the underworld with his love. And supposedly the Lyra was after, cast into the sky by Jupiter itself.

"I'm not giving you something that will make you think of us as doomed lovers, Derek." Stiles says as he fastens the pendant around his neck. "We will find a way, like Perseus always did. We are _not_ doomed."

And Derek nods and kisses Stiles' nose because this is a good day, and everything seems possible.

A couple of days after, he's absently caressing the pendant on his neck, while looking for the right size wentletrap shell that would make the perfect gift for Stiles.

When he finally finds one as big as his pinkie finger he swims to a place where he knows he won't be disturbed, and sings, into its opening, the melody that comes from deep inside him whenever he thinks of Stiles.

In the merfolk tradition, the melody of the love that the merman or mermaid feels towards his or her mate, is something to be exchanged during a ceremony where both lovers' families are present to witness it.

But Derek's situation is hardly traditional, and he stopped thinking about respecting tradition the moment he realized that it was just that preventing him from being open about the person he has ever loved most.

He's a little nervous when the afternoon rolls around though, and he finds himself swimming in a wide circle muttering over and over, "I'm going to give it to him, nope I'm not going to give it to him."

Finally, stopping all rational thoughts, he swims to their little alcove and blurts, "This is for you!" shoving the seashell attached to a string made of multiple, tightly bound seaweed strings, into Stiles face.

Stiles takes it from his hands and not getting any sounds, Derek slowly looks up to see his face.

"This is for me?" Stiles seems so awed and surprised to get a present that it makes strange, clutching things to Derek's heart.

"Of course," he says rubbing a circle on Stiles thigh, "If- If you hold it to your ear, you can hear my voice.."

As soon as he says it, Stiles holds it to his ear and Derek watches with relief at how Stiles' eyes gradually widens as he listens to the melody, "Derek," his voice is hoarse when he finally out down the necklace, his eyes bright, "It's the most beautiful gift I had ever received."

Derek can't resist in surging up and kiss him, holding to the rough surface of the rock where Stiles is perched, to keep his balance. "It also means something important in our culture.." he mumbles when he pulls back, looking away.

"Yeah?" Stiles asks gently stroking the hair at the nape of his neck, the smile clear in his voice.

Derek bits his lip, and feels the warmness of the blush make its way up to the tips of his ears, "Yeah, I think it can be compared as…."

….

"Derek?"

Derek hums in askance from where he has his face buried in the skin of Stiles' thigh.

"Derek, you were kinda saying something."

Derek makes something in the middle of a pained and embarrassed sound from the back of his throat, and Stiles cracks up laughing.

"God, you're unbelievable." Stiles says fondly, "Do I have to propose myself for you, would that make you feel better?"

Derek finally looks up from his hiding place and smiles shyly up at him, "So, you know?"

Stiles grins, securing the necklace around his neck, "I told you, I'm majoring in folklore, and my boyfriend is a-… _sea creature_ , of course I know this stuff."

"And what's your answer?"

"Are you going to ask me?"

Derek nods, "Will you be my mate, Stiles?"

"Hell, yeah, I will." Stiles answers, pushing himself off the rock and into Derek's arms.

Sometimes though, it's hard to remain hopeful as they share their dreams and fantasize of a life together, where they can see each other without Derek having to sneak off to do it, where Stiles gets to know Derek's family and Derek gets to meet Stiles' dad. Of a life where Stiles was a merman too and gets to be Derek's partner at every under water dance competition. Of a life where Derek was human or at least creature that gets to live on the ground, like say.. a werewolf, like Stiles' best friend, and have a normal life, a happily domestic life with Stiles, growing old together.

Because almost every time, one of the two grows sad and the other has to hold him tightly as he shakes and cries silently.

Sometimes they both cry, and curse their fate of being born in such different worlds.

In one of these occasion, Derek has a really hard time leaving Stiles, as his mate had a particularly bad day. One of Stiles' class kids almost drowned at his first outing on the water and it shook Stiles so hard that after, accomplishing anything was pretty much impossible, thus throwing him in a really bad mood, and making him feel like the universe was mocking him.

Derek's time to go home was well passed, now, but he was too busy trying to comfort Stiles to notice his uncle swimming by, for then stop abruptly when he sees them and take in the scene presenting before his eyes.

When he finally does leave to go home, after asking again and again if Stiles was okay and leaving only when Stiles seemed more panicked for the fact that it is way later than he usually leaves, his sister Laura practically assaults him and drags him deep in a cave, far from prying eyes and ears.

"What the hell, Laura!?"

His sister whacks him in the head, "What were you thinking staying this late with him?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Stiles." His sister grits her teeth as she says it, and Derek might have a mini heart attack at that. "Yes, I know, Cora knows and now Mom and Dad know too, because Uncle Peter told them! Because he saw you! With him!"

Derek feels the world collapse all around him. So, this was it. "What will they do to him?" he asks numbly.

Laura shakes her head, "I don't know, but you know our laws, you can't tell our secret to the humans, they will use it against us and hunt us and kill us, they-"

"Stiles' nothing like that!"

"I know," she says more softly, "but _they_ don't, and they won't care. You broke one of our oldest rules, and the punishment for that would be death or exile, but since you're son of Triton's descendant, mom could find another way.."

He looks up hopefully at that, but his sister shakes her head, "They could decide to drown him, or wipe your memories."

" _No_ ,"

So, his heart will be ripped apart no matter what they decide.

They return to their home and Derek twists and worries at his pendant the whole time as he waits for his parent to come out and tell him what his fate will be. He hates every single second of it, dread and sorrow coiling deep inside him. If they decide to drown Stiles- No. he would never let that happen. He couldn't live if- he thinks of what Stiles had said about them not being doomed lovers, and he wants to curl up and cry, because he'd believed him and now everything is falling apart because it was Derek's fault. He had seen Stiles first, he had fallen for him first, putting him in danger even without him knowing it, and now Derek might be the cause of his death because he hadn't left sooner. _Everything_ was his fault.

Talia comes out then, and immediately takes Derek by an arm and swims them through their quarters, taking them to his room.

"Mom," he starts but clamps his mouth shut when he sees the sorrowful look on her face, "What?"

"I'm so sorry, my love, I tried-"

"No! Mom, please! I love him," He pleads, "He's nothing like the humans the elders talk about, he's different and he loves me back even if he knows what I am,"

"I know."

"What?"

"I knew about him before Peter told us." She tells him and he's so surprised, he doesn't know how to react at that. "I hoped it would be a temporary thing and when I started to realize that it wasn't… I hoped I could talk to you about the consequences before- without anyone else knowing about it,"

"I know what the consequences are." He says numbly, "I- I just whished for something _better_."

Talia gathers him in her arms and that's when he let himself break apart, "Mom, I love him so much," he sobs, " _Please_."

"Oh, my little boy," Talia's voice breaks, "I never wanted you to hurt so much, couldn't you fall for some other merman?"

Derek makes a wounded sound, feeling like his chest is being ripped apart. "No," He says tightening his arms around Talia's middle, "There's no one for me if not Stiles," he sobs, "And I don't want anyone else."

The elders wanted to solve the problem by drowning Stiles _and_ wiping Derek's memories, but Talia being as important as a queen and since it was about her son they were talking about, convinced and compromised in _just_ wiping both boys' memories.

Derek has never felt so heartbroken in his existence. But he would do anything to make sure that Stiles would live a happy life even if it was without him. And even if he would forget to have ever known Derek… but then again, Derek would forget Stiles too. And he doesn't know how to feel about that.

Stiles has been such a big part of his life for so long..

Stiles moulded him in a way. Derek is who he is now, part of it because of Stiles.

And maybe he sounds like the typical overdramatic teenage merman, but he doesn't know who he is without Stiles, and the thought of blankness where all of his memories of Stiles are, feel like a void that he knows, will never be able to fill.

The elders didn't even give him the chance to go to Stiles first, so that he could explain what has happened and what _will_ happen. They threatened to go with the initial plan if he had been discovered gone before them.

Derek has never felt so much hatred towards his people like in that moment.

The ceremony to remove two lovers' memories required for the memories to be wiped at the same time and for the lovers to be near each other. It's the only way to make sure that the process worked thoroughly.

So Derek leads them towards the alcove where Stiles first saw him, the place that since then has become their meeting point.

Derek feels his heart break all over again, when he sees Stiles' surfboard above them. Stiles' legs are dangling from its sides and Derek can easily imagine the way his face looks as he contemplates the sky above, like he often does as he waits for Derek to show up.

Derek looks back, the elders and his family are just behind him and he pushes a little harder, desperate to have even just a second with him alone.

"Stiles," he gasps as soon as he's above.

"Hey?" Stiles turns his head and his eyes are so soft and full of love that Derek feels another knot forming in his throat, choking him, "What's wrong?" Stiles asks immediately, sitting up, "Der-"

"They know," Derek sobs and watches miserably as Stiles' eyes widen, and his pulse visibly starts jumping in his throat, "They want to wipe our memories, they're going to do it now, I'm so sorry-"

"What? No!" Stiles is shaking his head, his whole body trembling as he reaches for Derek's shoulders, "They can't, I won't let them take you from me,"

Derek whimpers, feels his whole body shake and doesn't know how to stop.

Everything is falling and it's his fault, "I'm so sorry,"

"No, Derek _stop_ , it's not your fault, it's no-"

"DEREK HALE, SON OF TALIA DESCENDANT OF POSEIDON'S SON, TRITON. WITHDRAW YOURSELF FROM THE SON OF ADAM."

Stiles holds on his shoulders even more tightly and looks wide eyed as he sees the procession of merfolk coming towards them. "Derek-," Stiles' whisper is broken and Derek thinks that that's the sound that his heart makes when he feels it break inside him.

"DEREK HALE. I SAID-"

"WAIT!"

There's a commotion behind him but Derek doesn't want to turn, he grips at Stiles sides' and wills his body to never forget the way his skin feels against the person he loves with every fibre of his body and soul. Stiles doesn't let go of his grip on Derek's shoulders and he knows that Stiles feels the same as he does.

" _Moneim_?"

 _That_ gets both of their attention and Stiles searches for the face that uttered the name, "How do you know my real name?" he asks still searching the crowd.

"It is you then,"

Derek turns his head a little just to see behind him but not moving his arms from around Stiles.

It was one of the elders. The eldest of them all. And for that the most respected and whose word and sentence meant more than any decision taken from the others.

Emma of the Pale Silver Comb would be their salvation.

Her opinion had taken to count so heavily and in such a definitive way, that through the years, as far as Derek knows, she had stopped voicing them.

Derek has never heard her speak, and from the shock he was sensing the others were in, neither did they, at least since a long time.

Everyone is silent as she approaches the two boys and puts a reassuring hand on Derek's shoulder, and smiles softly at them both, "My sweet boys," she says, her voice as lovely as the sound of a harp, "No one will take your memories, I promise."

"But Eldes-"

"YOU DARE TO DEFY ME?" Emma's voice turns as cold and as powerful as the sound of waves crashing onto a cliff.

The man that had uttered the protest ducked his head and fell silent with the rest of the crowd.

"These two.." Emma started more softly, the powerful and old note in her voice never disappearing in her tone though, "I'm surprised that none of have seen it yet. Don't you recognize the kind of bond that these two boys irradiate?" she gives another reassuring smile at the boys and spreads her arms wide turning back to the merfolk, "They are true mates. Their souls, bound together from something as old and sacred as the universe itself.

"Wiping their memories of each other won't work. Their bond transcends any magic you could ever use on them. You won't break their engagement." She announces, "You will celebrate it and open your doors to Moneim, as he won't ever betray us. He is like us in a way. Enchantment runs through his veins even if he might not know it yet."

Derek frowns and looks up at his boyfriend. Stiles' frowning too, and sensing Derek's eyes on him he shrugs.

"We will grant them the possibility to live in each other's worlds, for however and as for as long they will like. That is my verdict. _That is the law_."

No one dared to go against Emma of the Pale Silver Comb, and Derek and Stiles got their happily ever after.

Stiles had been right, after all, when he said that they were _not_ doomed lovers. No, their love would always win. Apparently, has for centuries, and probably will for a couple more.

They, _finally_ , get to realise the fantasies and dreams they talked about so many times.

Derek gets to meet Stiles' dad and live on the ground with Stiles whenever he chooses to.

Stiles gets to feel how it's like to have an actual tail instead of feet and properly meet Derek's family.

And from then on, they participate at all the Underwater Swimming Dance Competitions as partners.

And of course they lived happily ever after.


	2. Forehead Kiss

Of course, this was the way they were going to be reunited.

In the middle of a fight, when there was a really big, fat chance that someone would end up dead.

 _Of course._

Fuck his life, _seriously_.

He lost count of how many times he wished and dreamt of this moment, for then promptly push away all the feelings and hopes that would accompany them, because he had no right to feel like that, because he was happy now. And Derek deserved to be happy, away from the shitshow that had become life in Beacon Hills.

But against all hopes, and wishful thinking, Derek was, finally, _really_ , there. And Stiles had never wanted anything, since he's whished for his dad to be okay, more than he wished, _ironically_ , that Derek stayed away.

Stiles couldn't take it if something happened to him. He _just_ couldn't.

And that's why he threw himself in front of him, before the pointed end of the cane that one of the dread doctors had thrown could hit Derek.

"Stiles!"

He went down in a thump, hitting the ground hard. But the pain from the fall was nothing compared to the blinding, wrenching pain in his shoulder.

He passed out when he touched the spot where the spear was still impaling him. The blood rushing in his veins and a loud and angry growl, the last things he heard, before he finally let himself slip into darkness.

The annoying beeping sound coming somewhere too close to him, was the first thing his brain registered. The stomach-churning pain when he tried to move, the second.

His throat was possibly, the driest it had ever been, and water was everything he could think of, in that moment.

"Stiles?"

He groaned against the inhuman effort that it took him to finally pry open his eyes, and look at the equally worried and relieved expression on his dad's face. "Water," he asked, voice scratchy.

His dad jumped into action and poured him a glass from the jar on the bedside table. Ever so gently he helped him sit up and finally, Stiles took a sip.

He sighed, wetting his parched lips. Water had never tasted so good.

"You scared the hell out of me, kid." His dad said, choking a little. "Never do that to me again."

Stiles squeezed his hand with the little strength he could muster, "Right back atcha." Then something jolted him, maybe it was the sudden concentrated pain to his shoulder as he started to lay back on the bed, or maybe it was the both relieved and exasperated look on his father's face, that made him remember the reason why he was there. "Derek?" he asked, starting to panic as he remembered the growl he heard just before he passed out.

His dad turned to look at the closed door, the corner of his mouth quirking up when he looked back at Stiles, "He's right outside. He's okay." He said and his eyes softened when he probably caught the relief written all over Stiles' face.

Stiles was well past, feeling self-conscious at having his dad knowing exactly how much he cared about the frowny werewolf.

After all, his dad was the one that held him, when he'd wake up from his nightmares, and sometimes Derek's name was uttered in the same way he'd just done, and the sheriff would reply in the same "He's okay" just to ease him back to sleep.

Except that those were dreams, and this was finally reality.

"He's really okay?" Stiles asked again, his voice cracking a little.

His dad nodded, "Pretty sure, he's pacing a hole on the floor, too."

"Oh?"

"Stiles?"

Just then the door opened, and said werewolf poked his head inside, worried frown in place.

The sheriff snorted a little and stood up, from where he was sitting on the chair at Stiles' bedside, "I'll give you two a moment." He said smiling down at his son, and pausing to give a firm squeeze on Derek's shoulder before he walked out the room.

Derek watched him go, and waited until the door was closed before he finally turned to look at Stiles. The concerned expression on Derek's face, making something twist inside him. He felt raw and exposed like this, he wasn't sure he could go through a conversation with the person he'd wished to see again more times than he cared to admit, without breaking down.

"That was the stupidest thing you've ever done." Derek said suddenly.

Stiles blinked a little in surprise, Derek's tone was a little harsh, but his eyes betrayed the worry and something that almost looked like _awe_. He tried to shrug, but the movement caused another jolt of pain going through his shoulder and he flinched.

Derek was immediately at his side, "What is it?"

"Shoulder," he mumbled and watched Derek frown again. "You should really stop that, you're gonna have so many lines by the tim-ah. – _oh_." He sighed as he felt the pain being leeched away, tanks to Derek's super amazing wolfie powers.

"That was really stupid, Stiles." Derek repeated as he sat down, on the chair the sheriff had just vacated, and Stiles would totally roll his eyes if he weren't feeling amazingly loose limbed and relaxed right now.

"You're stupider," he mumbled, "for coming back. The dread doctors-" he started, eyes flying open, "The others, what-"

"It's over." Derek said and Stiles gaped, not comprehending.

"What?"

Derek stroked the inside of his wrist, as he continued to leech the pain away from Stiles' aching body, "The chimeras, the beast, the doctors, they're all gone."

Stiles felt his eyes moisten, suddenly feeling completely overwhelmed by all the emotions he was feeling all at once. He almost couldn't believe it at first, so much time they had spent trying to stay alive and save people; miserably failing the second part and barely managing the first, and now they had finally done it.

"I thought I'd never see you again." He said, because in that moment it felt like the most important thing he could say.

The rubbing on his wrist stopped and Derek's eyes grew sad. "I'm sorry, I left."

Stiles shook his head, "No, you had to." He moved his hand so that he could find Derek's fingers and squeeze a little, "I imagined you living a happy life, away from all the pain here, and I was happy for you." He said sincerely, "I didn't want to see you hurt ever again."

Derek's eyes moistened and he quickly looked down, rubbing them with his free hand, "That's why you got yourself impaled?" he asked, his voice rougher than before, "You didn't want me to get hurt?"

"Yeah." Stiles said simply.

"I heal."

"Doesn't mean, you have to get hurt." Stiles countered, feeling angry. Not at Derek but at everything wrong that had happened in his life. "Just because you can heal faster, doesn't mean that you can't get hurt."

There was a pause, when Derek just looked at Stiles, eyes bright and full of awe. And Stiles felt like crying again. "I tried." Derek swallowed, "But I couldn't stay away from you."

Stiles breath caught, "From the pack?"

Derek shook his head, and stood up. "From _you_." He repeated leaning down, to drop a gentle kiss on his forehead.

Stiles closed his eyes and sighed, "What does that mean?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow," Derek whispered, his hands raking through Stiles' hair.

"Will you stay?"

Derek's hand moved down to stroke his cheekbone with the pad of his thumb, "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

And Stiles believed him.


	3. I'll take forever with you, then

Admittedly he might have been slightly drunk when he got it.

But it didn't mean that now that he was sober he regretted it.

He'd been thinking about it for a while now, so it was time he finally did it.

Sure, he would have to be careful that it remained covered in front of his dad, and Scott- oh god, _Scott_.

Stiles groaned, rolling face first onto his pillow.

If Scott saw it… he'd at least ask him, _why._ And even if he was his best friend, Stiles wasn't sure if he was ready to tell him that.

He always believed that people are moulded in who they are by the people that live in their lives that leave an imprint even when they're gone. And Stiles was who he was because of his dad and his friends, but especially because of his mom and _him_.

And he wanted to have something of his, something tangible to touch, to see, now that Stiles hadn't seen him in years.

It was to remember, yes, but also to let go. To finally move on with his life and accept that he wouldn't see him again.

How could he say all of that to Scott? His best friend would probably ask him to get his one, too.

After all he was part of his pack.

Stiles tried to smother himself with the pillow. He was going to die before he got the dumb circles anywhere on his body. He still hated that tattoo.

The Triskele was pretty. There was no comparison between the two.

Yep, high wasted pants and long shirt would have to be a thing again.

* * *

"Derek?"

Derek turned from where he was glowering down at a laundry detergent in his hand, like it had personally offended him, which in truth it had, because he hated doing laundry, and Cora had been the one to do it since she knew how much he loathed it. But now he was forced to undertake the horrible task of washing his clothes himself, because his sister had practically kicked him out and forced him to come back to Beacon Hills because –I swear to god, if you don't go to him yourself, I'm going to FedEx you myself, quit moping and just do something!- his sister wasn't really the patient type.

"It is you then," The sheriff walked up to him with a sincere smile, "How are you, son?"

After a moment of incredulous staring, even if he didn't know why he was surprised, (after all this was Beacon Hills, and the sheriff ought to do some grocery shopping from time to time..) Derek found himself smiling back easily at him, "I'm good".

The sheriff nodded, still smiling, "That's good to hear. So are you.." he made a vague gesture with his hand that made Derek's heart skip a beat because it was so reminiscent of his son, that he had to remember how to breathe. "Staying or just passing by?"

Derek bit the inside of his cheek, "Not sure, still…"

The sheriff studied him for a moment, "You know, the others would be happy to see you again," he said shifting his weight on his other foot, "they're in college now, but most of them should be back this weekend for their spring break. Melissa and I are organizing a get together… You should come."

Derek tried, he really did, but the question was out before he could thump it down. "Will he be there?"

To the sheriff's credit, somehow he knew exactly who _he_ was. "My son will be there," he said, the corner of his mouth lifting just a little.

Derek looked away, willing the beat of his heart to slow down. "I'll.. think about it." He mumbled, clearing his throat.

The sheriff smiled openly, "Sure thing, we'll see you on Saturday. That is, if you decide to come, of course." He added, and again Derek was left staring as he recognized the playful gleam in his eyes that he'd seen so many times in Stiles'.

"Yeah." He finally nodded, and started to walk away, before the other man could see the flush spreading over his face.

"Oh, Derek, wait!"

He turned back with a questioning look and the sheriff approached him with a laundry detergent in his hands. "Take this one. Better price and works miracles with stubborn stains." He informed him, holding it out for him. "Or at least, that's what Melissa says."

Derek nodded and reached for it a little dazed, giving the one he'd took to the sheriff and watching him put it back on the right rack.

"Have a good day, son." The sheriff nodded at him and walked down the aisle.

Derek stared after him and only when he had turned down the corner, remembered himself to mumble a "You, too."

* * *

On Saturday, the house was wrapped in the cosy and happy aura that always characterized the pack get-togethers and that never failed Stiles to feel a little awed. Laughter could be heard no matter in what room of the house you were, and Stiles watched with a small content smile his friends teasing each other playfully as they all helped set the picnic table in the backyard.

He'd just taken the chicken salad that Melissa had made and left on the kitchen counter when he heard the bell ring. He turned and watched as Kira went to open the door.

And then, his hands went slack when he saw who had just entered his house.

" _Oomph_. Jesus, Stiles, you gotta be more careful," his dad reprimanded, "this is grandma's glass bowl, you know how she gets whe-"

"It's Derek." Stiles said in a rush of breath.

His dad hummed in acknowledgement.

Stiles whipped his head to give him an accusatory look, "You knew?"

The sheriff shrugged, "I invited him."

"You what?!"

"What? You didn't want me to?" His dad asked with a knowing, raised eyebrow.

"No, I just.." He turned back to look at Derek, who was smiling as he hugged everyone that went to greet him. He looked so relaxed and _soft_. It was a really good look on him and Stiles felt his heart clench a little cause right now all he wanted to do was go there and _pet_ him. Hug him. Feel him under his hands. Make sure he's real.

"What is it? Is your side bugging you again?" the sheriff asked with a worried frown.

Stiles' fingers had drifted to trace the tattoo that he had on his left hipbone, without him even realizing it. "No, don't worry, it's not that."

"Are you sure? I have extra balm if you forgot-"

"Dad, I'm alright I promise, it doesn't hurt that much, anymore." He gave him a reassuring smile, "And I have the ointment in my backpack, in any case."

His dad searched his eyes for a moment and then nodded, deciding that he was telling the truth. "So, you were.." he coughed, "Tracing the tattoo?"

Stiles spluttered, "Wha- _how-_?!"

His dad waved a hand at him, "Your shirt raked up a little when you were reaching for the big pan Melissa had asked you to take." He twisted his nose, "Please, don't tell me you plan in getting one of Scott's circles too."

Stiles pulled a face, "Not a chance."

"Thank _god_." The sheriff looked genuinely relived. "You should go talk to him." He then suggested after a beat of silence, when both of them turned back to watch Derek, still talking amiably with Scott and Melissa.

Derek looked up directly at Stiles then, and it felt like a jolt of electricity down his spine. He straightened and took back the bowl from his dad's hands, "Yeah, maybe later." he said, his voice a little hoarse.

* * *

Derek spent great part of the dinner trying to catch Stiles gaze to no avail. Their eyes met more than once across the table, but Stiles would freeze up for then quickly look away and lean in to talk with Lydia beside him. Derek, was ashamed to admit that he did try to listen in, but they weren't talking of anything really interesting, just offhanded comments on people that Derek didn't know, and soon stopped altogether.

"You okay?"

Derek looked up from where, he realized, he must've been sulking watching his hands, and shrugged unhelpfully. Melissa gave him one of her earnest smiles. "He's not talking to you, is he?"

"He wouldn't even look at me." He said trying to hold off the whine in his voice, and failing miserably.

Cora would punch him so hard if she was here.

"He can be stubborn," she acknowledged, "But you can try to take him aside…"

Derek sighed, "How do I do that? He keeps skittering away every time I try to approach him."

Melissa hummed, "Looks like you're getting your chance, if you hurry." She said nodding to where Stiles had taken the now empty chicken salad bowl and went inside.

Derek almost toppled over the plastic chair he'd been sitting on, in his hast to go after him.

* * *

"Stiles,"

"Shit! Jesus, _fuck._ " Stiles sighed relieved as he managed to not let go of grandma's bowl still in his hands. He gently put it on the kitchen counter and turned to glower at the annoyingly stealthy werewolf, "Dude, you scared the hell out of me." He hissed, crossing his arms over his chest, and hoped that Derek would blame his elevated heartbeat to the scare.

"I'm sorry," And the thing was that he really looked sorry. Derek looked like a kicked puppy and Stiles had never felt more like an asshole like in that moment.

He let out a long sigh, "It's okay," he said after a moment, "I was distracted anyway… it's not your fault." Stiles said, shrugging a little and offering a small, reassuring smile.

Derek gave him a pained look and walked the remaining distance between them, for stop only inches away from Stiles. The tip of their shoes touching, "I know you're angry because I wasn't here, when you needed me, and I'm sorry for that."

Stiles frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"This." Derek said gently resting a hand on Stiles' left side. Where he had the deepest and ugliest scar of all, courtesy of the time when the Beast was totally a thing, and he'd thrown himself in front of his dad before it could slash the sheriff's chest open.

Stiles breath stuttered, "How did you know?" He asked, putting his hand on top of Derek's, still on his side.

Derek let out a low whine, "I heard you and your dad talk about it.."

Stiles snorted, "You _snoop_ , it's still really rude to listen in into other people's conversations, you know?" he smiled, gently squeezing his hand.

"Can I see it?"

Derek's eyes were wide and so bright, and green and so impossibly beautiful that it literally knocked out all the fight in him. Stiles sighed and nodded.

Derek took his hand in his, and nudged his chin up so that he was forced to look back up at him, "Only if you want to, it's your body."

"It's okay." He reassured, and it really was now that he knew Derek was giving him the choice.

He intertwined their fingers together, still hovering on his scarred side, and without breaking eye contact, he slowly reached to lift his shirt, with his right hand.

Derek held his gaze for a while longer and then dropped it to finally take a look. Stiles closed his eyes.

He knew it looked really bad, and for a while it had hurt too, making it really hard for him to do simple things like bending to take something fallen off the floor, or reach for something a little too high up for him. Or sleeping. He'd barely managed to close his eyes, in the first days the doctor had dismissed him form the hospital, and come back home.

He heard the sharp intake of breath, and he forced himself to open his eyes.

Derek's fingers were tracing over his hipbone, and the sensation of his warm hands on his bare skin, caused the hair all over his body to raise as he shivered, " _Stiles_." Derek's voice was rough and awed and confused, and it was when he pressed more firmly on his hipbone, that Stiles remembered the triskele.

"Oh, right." He smiled lazily, "I got a tattoo, too."

"Why?" Derek Asked searching his eyes, like he could find the secret of the universe in them.

Stiles cocked his head, "To remember? To let go, to move on," he shrugged, "A lot of reasons, really."

"Why under the- _this_?" Derek whispered roughly, ghosting his fingertips on the silvery scar, where his flesh had been ripped apart.

"Because, you were there, when I got it." He sighed, "Because, when I passed out, the last thing I thought about was how I wouldn't get to see you again…" Stiles said pressing his hand on the scar, "Because, this reminded me that I'm still alive, and this.." He smiled down at the triskele on his hip, "This reminded me that you're okay, too. And that maybe one day, I'd get the chance to see you again.."

He'd just barely looked up before Derek's lips were attacking his. He let out a surprised " _oomph_ ," sound and froze, immediately regretting it when Derek pulled back abruptly, saying over and over again, "Sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn-"

Stiles cut him off by pulling him back in a demanding kiss.

Seriously, he had no idea why he'd frozen up. He'd been dreaming about the moment Derek Hale finally kissed him, since _years_. And now it was finally happening.

Derek responded eagerly enough, opening his mouth just so that Stiles could lick inside it, letting out a low moan and pushing him against the counter with his whole body.

At some point he even lifted Stiles up and sat him firmly on top of said counter, making space for himself between his splayed thighs, "You've no idea, how much I waited for this." Stiles breathed out, as they tried to regain their breaths.

Derek pulled him back from the nape of his neck, for another long, slow kiss, "Me too." He said. And really how was Stiles supposed to react at that, if not by trying to bring their bodies even closer, and circling Derek's waist with his legs?

Unfortunately, such fervent action was made completely forgetting the glass bowl that he'd set just minutes ago on the same counter he was now sitting on, and of course, that went crashing down, breaking into tiny little pieces, and making a horrible cacophony of sounds.

"STILES!?"

Stiles sighed dropping his forehead on Derek's, " _Babcia_ is going to cut off my testicles.. that is if dad doesn't shoot me first." He informed him, "You're still in time to escape from all of this."

Derek hummed, softly brushing the pad of his thumb on his pulse point, "What happens if I stay?"

Stiles grabbed the front of his Henley and pulled him closer, "I'm keeping you forever."

Derek smiled impossibly wide, and leaned in to give him a gentle peck, "I'll take forever with you, then."

And Stiles laughed happily because he knew that they would be okay.

Even with a really angry Babcia.

* * *

 **A/N: When will I ever stop with the sappiness? *Longsuffering sigh* these two, I _swear_.**

 **uh, and my Tumblr is: the-mess-sterek-left-behind**

 **3**


	4. I see, You're happy now

_Slow it down, take a breath and close your eyes  
Hang on tight and don't look down.  
Underneath it all, we're just the same, you and I,  
So don't go telling me your fine._

Stiles had known that he wasn't fine, even if he'd smiled and told them that it was okay.

He'd wanted to yell at him, let him talk, cry it all out, but he'd been broken too and hadn't had the strength to hold him too.

 _I'll be the flowers that they place on your casket.  
I'll be the love that we knew would never last, and  
I'll be the moon when the last sun is setting.  
I'll be for you.  
I'll be for you._

And he wanted to tell him that he'll be all he needed, everything he ached for and thought he couldn't have if he stayed. Stiles wanted to tell him that if he didn't go, he'd be that for him. He just needed to wait a little. To wait for him.

 _So say the words "you're leaving and you won't come back"  
At least I'm sure it can't get worse.  
And when the last bit of hope has left you crawling alone,  
I'm just someone you used to know_.

But he hadn't. He'd just left without saying goodbye and leaving, him to face all his ghosts on his own, again.

For a while he'd hoped that he'd come back, but then as months went by that little hope had died away too.

And now, every time he dreamt of him, he hoped that he was happy and okay, wherever he was. And only wished he could tell him how much he'd cared for him. How much he would always care for him.

-  
 _Drömmer om ljuset, På 10th avenue_

 _Ensam i mörkret, Det är min tur nu  
O här är jag vilsen, O 10th avenue _ _  
Ser genom fönstret , Du är lycklig nu_

[Dreaming of the light, on 10th avenue  
Alone in the darkness, it's my turn now.  
And here I am lost, oh 10th avenue,  
I see through the window, you are happy now.]

Stiles didn't know what he was doing here. He didn't even know the number or the name of his building. He just knew that it was on the Amsterdam Avenue, Manhattan in New York.

He had driven here on an impulse, because after his sudden text, asking how things were going, Stiles hadn't been able to shake the need to see him again. But he also hadn't found the courage to ask him if it was okay if he went to see him. Hadn't had the courage to ask for his address.

Maybe Derek just wanted to be it like this. To keep his distance and have as little contact as possible, and just to scratch the occasional itch to know if the people he left in Beacon Hills were okay.

Stiles had replied that everything was fine, and asked him how it was for him and Derek had answered just with,

 _10_ _th_ _Avenue is great._

So, Stiles, guessed that he was in New York. He didn't know if Cora was with him or if he was on his own. Maybe they were staying in the same apartment Derek used to share with Laura. But Stiles didn't know where that was either.

So, he walked and walked, pulling his hoodie over his head and shoving his cold hands in his front pockets.

Manhattan was so different from home. So many noises and so many people and smells. He thought how on earth Derek managed to live in a place like this with his heightened senses. Was Beacon Hills so bad that he'd prefer to stay on a place that overwhelmed his every sense?

He snorted. Of course it was.

Any place was better than Beacon Hills.

It _did_ get better after the Dread Doctors though. _Still_. Stiles sighed. He knew it wasn't enough for Derek to want to come back.

"This is so stupid." He muttered to himself as he stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, earning some angry remarks from someone. "What am I even doing here?"

He tried to swallow around the knot suddenly in his throat and blink away the tears as he looked up in search of stars. But there weren't any, because he was in _Manhattan_ , and light pollution was definitely a thing here.

He lowered his gaze, then. And he honestly felt his heart stop for a moment.

He was there, in the building just across the street from Stiles, visible through the clear lit window.

He was moving around, a big smile on his face as he talked to someone else. Someone that Stiles, later recognized as Cora.

"Derek." A cloud of hot breath formed in front of him as he whispered the name he'd so many time mumbled in his sleep.

He wasn't sure, but maybe it meant something that right then, Derek looked up. And their eyes met.

* * *

 **A/N: THIS? WRITING THIS KILLED ME.**


	5. I'll Be Anything You Need

"How have you made it this long without someone throwing you out an airlock or something?"

Stiles paused from where he was grinding a mix of herbs that theoretically would give a boost to the umpteenth tracking spell that hopefully would tell them where Erica and Boyd were, and that was making Derek sneeze every two seconds. "Well," he started, keeping his eyes down, causing for the short hair of his buzz cut to gleam in the lamplight. "I was a really useful asset since when I was really young."

Derek raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah." Stiles replied to Derek's silent sarcasm. "At playtime in kindergarten I always managed to get the shiny blue Hot Wheels car with the purple flames on its sides that Scott loved so much, we were supposed to share it with the other kids, the teacher even made a rota for the toys that we liked most, the shiny blue car being one of them. But when it wasn't mine of Scott's turn, I'd go to the kid that had it and basically talk him to death, until he would move away and leave the car behind."

Derek couldn't help the huff of laughter that escaped him. It really, wasn't that hard to imagine.

Stiles looked his way with a grin and continued, "Then, in middle school, during tests, I was pretty much the one with all the right answers."

"You made people copy your test?" Derek asked, his face, he was sure, calling bullshit all over.

"In middle school yeah," Stiles nodded, with a slight faraway look on his face, "but then I realised it didn't make me popular or make me more friends or anything, they just used me. So after I stopped and told anyone that asked to kiss my ass." He looked at Derek with the asshole smirk that he usually whipped out when he knew he'd done something right and felt cocky about it, and that always made Derek think that it looked dumb but made him always smile nonetheless.

So, Derek smiled. A small, little thing that barely betrayed the fondness that he felt for the person in front of him. But fondness, maybe wasn't the right word. There was _that,_ and so much more. _Too_ _much_. And Derek battled a war with his wolf every day and every instant he spent with Stiles, since the moment he'd caught his scent that day in the woods, barely a year ago.

Because, it was _him_. And he knew it would feel- it _felt_ right. But it wasn't the right time.

Stiles was too young and still figuring out who he was and Derek… well, he was trying to figure out who he was without all the people he'd loved most his entire life.

So, yeah, it wasn't the right time, not now. Not with everything that happened and was going on.

But he'd wait.

His smile dropped when he caught Stiles' scent going funny, "And," Stiles was saying. "When Scott got bit, I'm the one that always has a plan, should I remind you. Someone could call my plans genius in their idiocy. Like, they're so clever that it's stupid. Plus, I'm a spark, so that's useful, and I don't care what you say but I'm good with the bat too, I mean-"

"Stiles stop," Derek frowned when Stiles' chatter had increased in speed along with his heart rate. "I know all of this." he said calmly.

Stiles shrugged. "You asked."

Derek's frown deepened. "What?"

"When you asked why didn't someone throw me away, since I talk too much or whatever. I'm useful, that's why."

It was like Stiles had shoved a knife into his gut and twisted it.

 _Did he really think-_ "I was just kidding. I didn't mean it, not really."

Stiles shrugged again, going back to grinding more herbs.

All this time, when Stiles had told him all the stuff that he did, he had been _selling_ himself, like it was a fucking job interview, _why Derek should keep him around_. Because he was _useful_.

He didn't know who was more heartbroken, him or his wolf, for doing such a poor job at making his mate feeling appreciated.

But if it meant something, it was that Derek was nowhere near able to be the person he wanted to be.

And Stiles was still fighting his own insecurities and Derek could do nothing about them but try to be the voice that fought them.

"You helped me, you're doing that now too." He said quietly, "No one did since Laura died. And you don't have to, I know you know that. But you just do, because you're good."

Stiles' heart fluttered. And he looked up, eyes slightly wide.

"Thank you." Derek said softly, "for everything."

There would be a time, somewhere in the future when Derek would be slightly annoyed with Stiles' constant chatter and he'd groan the same opening sentence, "How have you made it this long without someone throwing you out an airlock or something?" and Stiles would look his way with a smirk and reply with,

"Mostly charm and looks, but also determination" and wink, knowing full well that all he said was true and not feeling like he had to prove himself anymore. Not to Derek at least.

Derek couldn't wait for that, but for now, he would wait and be everything Stiles needed when he needed it.


	6. What Matters Most

Stiles had been pacing back and forth for a while now.

Derek was used to it.

He knew sometimes that was just how Stiles thought. He needed the constant and repetitive movement to organise whatever was going through his head, he had explained it to him, in whispers one night, when neither of them had been sleepy enough to fall asleep right away.

But there was something not right in this kind of pacing. Stiles movements were too jittery, and Derek noticed with a frown that a light tremor touched his right hand whenever he brought it up to run his finger trough his hair in a frustrated gesture.

"Stiles," Derek called when Stiles had huffed at the empty air, yet again.

His boyfriend turned to him, his eyes a bit too wide and sad –it made Derek's chest ache, seeing the sadness and uneasiness in them.

"What's wrong?" He closed his book and stood up, opening his arms in an inviting gesture.

Stiles all but threw himself in his arms, and buried his face in the crook of Derek' neck. "I dunno."

Derek wrapped his arms tight around him and rubbed his back.

"I just-" Stiles huffed again, pulling back from the embrace to grip the fabric of his own shirt above his heart. "It hurts here." Stiles said miserably, "my heart fucking hurts and I don't know why."

Derek put his hand above Stiles', the one on his heart, and squeezed. "What do you want me to do?"

Stiles made a pained sound and Derek felt the same ache in his chest when Stiles shook his head and said, "I don't' know Derek, I just- I don't know." In a broken voice. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

Derek pulled him back in his arms. He turned his face to kiss every mole and freckle on Stiles' face for only pause once he had gently pecked his lips.

He sat Stiles down on the couch and wrapped the white fluffy blanket that the kept on the back of the couch around his shoulder and turned on the TV to put Star Wars on, knowing he'd chosen well when Stiles made a surprised pleased sound.

"We didn't spend much time together like this in a while, did we?" Derek asked, settling behind Stiles on the couch, nuzzling his neck.

Stiles shook his head, turning away from the TV to face him. He put a hand on Derek's chest, caressing the hair poking out from his shirt and didn't say anything, just settled his forehead against Derek's collarbone and breathed for a while.

Derek didn't know what else to do other than to let him do whatever he needed, so he buried his face in Stiles' hair and closed his eyes.

He woke up to light kisses being pressed on his cheeks and nose and forehead, tiny butterfly kisses that made his lips stretch in a wide smile and wrap his arms around the source, pulling him flush against him.

"I can't kiss you if you hold me this tight," Stiles grumbled.

Derek's grin widened and he opened his eyes, peering down at his boyfriend with a glint in his eyes. "I know."

Stiles had just barely started to frown, before he was being flipped, so that Derek was on top. "Now, _I_ get to kiss _you_." He said with a dopey smile that made Stiles snort.

"Sap."

Derek hummed and kept promise on his statement, kissing and nuzzling every inch of Stiles' face. "I love you," he whispered in his ear, his eyes soft when he looked down at him.

Stiles' eyes softened, his fingers scratching lightly on the back of Derek's neck. "I love you too."

When Derek smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners, Stiles felt the weight on his chest lift a little.

This was all he needed. No matter how weird and shitty he felt, knowing and Derek showing him that he loved him, would always be what mattered to him most.


	7. Life was good

Derek pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I don't know how you get yourself into these situations."

Stiles made a distressed noise and flailed eloquently from where he was stuck with his head between the bars of the baby crib.

"How _exactly_ did you manage to get stuck in there?"

"I dunno!" Stiles hissed, "I just wanted to give Daisy a raspberry and – ow." He'd tried to shrug, but only managed to get the bars to dig on either side of his neck.

Derek sighed, and put a hand on his husband's back to ease the pain. He looked over at their daughter and smiled a little, seeing her wide awake and looking back at him. "Hey, sweetheart. Daddy got his head stuck, huh?"

"Hey!" Stiles protested.

Daisy made a spit-bubble.

Derek smirked. "I'm gonna go get the saw." He said, longsuffering, starting to turn towards the door.

"No!"

"No?"

"No! You're gonna give our daughter a lifetime of nightmares!"

"How on earth am I going to do that?"

"She'll think you're gonna cut off my head!"

"She's a baby. She doesn't even know what a saw is supposed to do."

"So? She'll see you with a big-ass knife near my head and gonna think you're going to cut off my head, _and_ I'm pretty sure she knows heads are supposed to be attached to necks, Derek."

"Stiles?"

"Yeah."

"You're being ridiculous."

Stiles whined. "I know, I really don't wanna give Daisy nightmares, though."

"Okay. How about I take her away? Put her on the door-swing facing the other way? She'll be safe and won't see a thing."

Stiles tried to nod but groaned mid-way. "Yeah, that sounds good." he said, slightly choked off.

Derek shook his head in fond exasperation, _only Stiles_ , and picked up Daisy, who shrieked delightedly as soon as she caught on the fact that she was being put in the swing. Derek brushed his lips on her forehead, then turned back to Stiles, "gonna be a moment, 'kay?"

"Yeah."

Daisy started to babble away in baby gibberish, and Derek went and came back with the saw hidden behind his back when Daisy could see him, in a barely a minute. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

Derek rolled his eyes. "You're such a drama-queen," he muttered starting to saw away.

"My head is stuck in a crib, and I have a saw near my neck!"

"And whose fault is that?"

Stiles huffed.

Derek smiled, not long ago he wouldn't even have dreamt of having what he has now; a real house, a daughter, a husband that really loves him, a _family_. And yeah, said husband was no stranger to accidents like this one, but that's probably one of the things Derek loved most about it all. The continuously crazy ways Stiles, still, managed to surprise him.

The bar detached with the last stroke of the saw, and he pulled it away.

Stiles, carefully, pulled himself out and started stretching his neck. "Man, _that_ was scary."

Derek raised an eyebrow. "Did you really think, I was gonna accidentally cut off your neck?"

"I know sometimes you want to," Stiles shrugged.

"Ah. Now I regret missing." Derek said deadpan.

Stiles grinned. "You love me."

Daisy shrieked, bouncing on her swing, trying to turn towards their voices.

Derek shook his head, the dumbest, hugest smile on his lips. "Yeah, I know. I really do."

Later, when they were downstairs; Derek putting together dinner and Stiles and Daisy on the couch, Derek heard Stiles, finally giving their daughter the hard-won raspberry.

Life was good.


End file.
